Preparation of a Ce/N-MOF(Fe)@P-C3N4 composite photocatalyst and efficient oxidation of benzene to phenol

The selective photocatalytic oxidation of benzene to phenol under mild conditions is of great significance for the next-generation phenol industry. In this study, a cerium–nitrogen co-doped iron-based metal–organic framework heterogeneous catalyst (Ce/N-MOF(Fe)@P-C3N4) has been synthesized by a one-step solvothermal method. Under optimized experimental conditions, the synthesized Ce/N-MOF(Fe)@P-C3N4-b photocatalyst showed up to 16.4% yield and 96% selectivity in the direct photocatalytic hydroxylation of benzene to phenol, and the photocatalytic performance did not decrease sharply after five cycles, indicating good stability and reusability. The improved strategy for this catalyst will provide some new insights for the development of more efficient photocatalysts for the direct hydroxylation of benzene to phenol.